Today’s ES and NQ Market Profile and Pivot Point Numbers
Value Area HighThe high end of the range of the value area. | 3878.00 | 11048.00 |
Point of ControlAlso called “POC” for short. The level in the futures inside the value area where either the greatest amount of volume traded in the prior session, or the greatest amount of time was spent as measured by the number of TPO’s going across. Measured this way, the POC would be the widest part of any given market profile. While ShadowTrader calculates its value areas and points of control using volume exclusively, we are always very aware of where the TPO POC is and it’s relation to current prices or patterns in the profile. Both are very important. | 3874.00 | 10863.50 |
Value Area LowThe low end of the range of the value area. | 3846.50 | 10999.25 |
R3 | 3961.25 | 11295.50 |
R2 | 3928.75 | 11182.00 |
R1 | 3901.50 | 11090.50 |
Pivot | 3869.00 | 10977.00 |
S1 | 3841.75 | 10885.50 |
S2 | 3809.25 | 10772.00 |
S3 | 3782.00 | 10680.50 |
Today’s Market Profile Chart
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Pre market indications
Opening In/Out Balance | in balance |
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Overnight InventoryA way of measuring overnight activity in the futures market by just noting how much of the overnight activity happens to fall above the prior day's settlement value (4:15pm EST close) and how much falls below. If more activity is above the settlement, then overnight inventory is said to be net long. If more is below, then it is said to be net short. If all of the overnight activity is above the settlement, then it is said to be 100% net long. If all of the activity is below the settlement then it is said to be 100% net short. The overnight inventory situation matters most and has the most impact on early trade when it is skewed 100% in either direction because when the imbalance is very large like that then the odds of an early correction increase greatly. This is due to the fact that most... | balanced |
Current Price/Overnight Range | lower third |
Shock and AweA term Peter uses to describe what overnight futures traders may be feeling when faced with an open that is wildly divergent from what they expected. Large gaps in either direction that are opening well outside of range are examples of this. The approach is that when the market opens in such a manner, there is often opportunity to trade earlier rather than later because of the large contingent of traders who will be forced to reverse their positions quickly. | no |
Potential for Early Trade | no |
Short Term Bias | consolidating in large balance area |
Key Levels for Today
3904.00 | VPOCVirgin Point of Control. This is a point of control level that has not yet been tested (traded through) during an RTH session. If the POC gets tested during an overnight session, it does not count and remains "virgin" until it happens during a day session. 12.21 |
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3896.50 | RTHRegular Trading Hours. In the /ES this means the price action from 9:30am EST to 4:15pm EST only. High |
3836.50 | RTHRegular Trading Hours. In the /ES this means the price action from 9:30am EST to 4:15pm EST only. Low |
3804.50 | Poor LowA poor low is one which lacks excess and is the opposite of an excess low. A poor low will have less than two TPO's of excess at the bottom of a daily range with at least 2-3 columns of TPO's lining up to form a flat looking bottom. It indicates that there are short term or weak handed shorts at that low of day area. We know this because every time prices sell off to the low, they get covered quickly, thus forming the poor low. The poor low has two forward looking indications. The first is that prices should bounce away from the poor low as there are a number of shorts trapped at poor location. The second is that if the next day or in some subsequent session, the poor low is revisited, then the odds are strong that it will break and move lower. This is called repair as it repairs the ... 12.28 |
3788.50 | Swing Low 12.22 (o/n session) |
Ongoing Narrative / Commentary
Continuing to go nowhere fast, even with the release of Fed minutes yesterday and Initial Claims data this morning. A tale told by short term momentum traders, full of sound and fury, signifying a balance area that refuses to break.
Overnight inventoryA way of measuring overnight activity in the futures market by just noting how much of the overnight activity happens to fall above the prior day's settlement value (4:15pm EST close) and how much falls below. If more activity is above the settlement, then overnight inventory is said to be net long. If more is below, then it is said to be net short. If all of the overnight activity is above the settlement, then it is said to be 100% net long. If all of the activity is below the settlement then it is said to be 100% net short. The overnight inventory situation matters most and has the most impact on early trade when it is skewed 100% in either direction because when the imbalance is very large like that then the odds of an early correction increase greatly. This is due to the fact that most... is quite balanced today and the entire overnight session is within the RTHRegular Trading Hours. In the /ES this means the price action from 9:30am EST to 4:15pm EST only. session and mostly within the VA at that. Later trade is the M.O. on such an open.
Balance rulesWhen a market is in balance, meaning that it is consolidating in a tight range of two or more days, then balance rules apply. The balance rules are nothing more than a framework of scenarios that could happen which prepare us for every possible outcome.
The possible outcomes and how to trade them are:
1. Look above and go. Prices move above the high of balance and find acceptance and continue higher. The target should be double the balance area.
2. Look above and fail. Prices move above the balance high but fail to find acceptance and reverse back into the balance area. This is now a short with a stop above the high just outside of balance that was recently made, with a target to the opposing low end of the balance area.
3. Look below and go. Prices move below the ... continue to apply and due to the lack of larger movement, the same key levels continue to be in play and should remain in the narrative.
VPOC’s
- 09.12 4128.25
- 12.02 4075.25
- 11.08 3835.25
- 11.09 3800.75
Scenarios
- Opening within range on balanced overnight inventoryA way of measuring overnight activity in the futures market by just noting how much of the overnight activity happens to fall above the prior day's settlement value (4:15pm EST close) and how much falls below. If more activity is above the settlement, then overnight inventory is said to be net long. If more is below, then it is said to be net short. If all of the overnight activity is above the settlement, then it is said to be 100% net long. If all of the activity is below the settlement then it is said to be 100% net short. The overnight inventory situation matters most and has the most impact on early trade when it is skewed 100% in either direction because when the imbalance is very large like that then the odds of an early correction increase greatly. This is due to the fact that most... is a low shock and aweA term Peter uses to describe what overnight futures traders may be feeling when faced with an open that is wildly divergent from what they expected. Large gaps in either direction that are opening well outside of range are examples of this. The approach is that when the market opens in such a manner, there is often opportunity to trade earlier rather than later because of the large contingent of traders who will be forced to reverse their positions quickly. open and should be traded later rather than earlier for higher odds setups.
- Balance rulesWhen a market is in balance, meaning that it is consolidating in a tight range of two or more days, then balance rules apply. The balance rules are nothing more than a framework of scenarios that could happen which prepare us for every possible outcome.
The possible outcomes and how to trade them are:
1. Look above and go. Prices move above the high of balance and find acceptance and continue higher. The target should be double the balance area.
2. Look above and fail. Prices move above the balance high but fail to find acceptance and reverse back into the balance area. This is now a short with a stop above the high just outside of balance that was recently made, with a target to the opposing low end of the balance area.
3. Look below and go. Prices move below the ... apply for the larger balance area. A move outside in either direction should be accompanied by market internalsInternals refers to “market internals” and is a blanket term to collectively describe the advance decline, breadth, tick and cumulative tick. that are heavily skewed in the direction of play. Anything less may indicate that market is actually going to remain in balance. - Balance rulesWhen a market is in balance, meaning that it is consolidating in a tight range of two or more days, then balance rules apply. The balance rules are nothing more than a framework of scenarios that could happen which prepare us for every possible outcome.
The possible outcomes and how to trade them are:
1. Look above and go. Prices move above the high of balance and find acceptance and continue higher. The target should be double the balance area.
2. Look above and fail. Prices move above the balance high but fail to find acceptance and reverse back into the balance area. This is now a short with a stop above the high just outside of balance that was recently made, with a target to the opposing low end of the balance area.
3. Look below and go. Prices move below the ... are in play for this larger range. They are a good framework to keep in mind as you navigate the session.

Iceberg Tick
A game changer if you use the TICKThe net cumulative tick reading on the NYSE or Nasdaq Composite. This is measured by the number of stocks ticking up minus the number of stocks ticking down at any given moment. It is the least used of the internal indicators but is discussed from time to time. Generally the tick readings are only helpful when they are at extremes such as +1000 on the NYSE to indicate that program trading is ensuing. as a market internal. Paints time spent above zero in green and time below in red. Traders who know how to use the TICKThe net cumulative tick reading on the NYSE or Nasdaq Composite. This is measured by the number of stocks ticking up minus the number of stocks ticking down at any given moment. It is the least used of the internal indicators but is discussed from time to time. Generally the tick readings are only helpful when they are at extremes such as +1000 on the NYSE to indicate that program trading is ensuing. know that this is what really matters in terms of sustaining intraday direction, not how high or low the extremes are.
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